Thrust ball bearing



March 22 1927. 1,622,065

' F. SYMANZIK THRUST BALL BEARING Filed'July l, 1 2

Fig. 1. 42 i v 8 S 5 45 radially, but

Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' raauzsmauzrmf-or scnwnmrun'r, GERMANY.

'rniws'r BALI. BEARING.

Application filed July 1, 1920, Serial N0. 393,475, and in Germany December 10, 1917.

This invention relates to a combination of a number of ball-bearings adapted to receive end-thrust, with means for spacing the balls, but also permitting them a certain mobility, for the purposes hereinafter disclosed.

The object of the invention is to devise a multiple system of thrust ball-bearin s in which the load to be supported is distrifiuted m to the rows, of balls, thus avoiding overloading of the single balls and at the same time maintaining same-in a proper operative position. It may here be stated that in ballbearing combinations of this kind it is gen erally diflicult to get a uniform distribution of the load, owing to .the inavoidable inaccuraCiesin mounting the various parts of such combinations, and that from this fact there-results the undue pressure on some of '20 the series, while other rows are running free, back-lash of the pertinent parts preventing the normal contact of the balls with the ball races. Y

The object of the invention is attained by availin of the centrifugal force acting upon the g of the balls'which are thereby held in the required position in which they are-capable of receiving and transmitting part of the end- 80 thrust of the shaft. For t is purpose the balls are given-a considerable mobility or play in the radial direction, so that the balls not loaded will duringoperation of the bea'ring-systembe pressed uponthe slope of the outer shoulders confining the balls-races in the bearing-dis or plates. From this pressure and the a tion of the ballslike a wed e on the slopin sides of the races an axia component resu ts which acts opposite- 40 1y to theend-thrust of the shaft:

' To attain this object, it is further essen- ;tial so to guide the balls of each row that said balls are spaced apart in such a manner that they are able to adjust themselves prevented from assembl' g and accumulatin upon one side of the axis, which woul cause'an unequal supportand even diagonal positionof the bearing discs. v A s acing ring concentrically-supported in the v projectioris will be fit to correspond to the. r uirements herebefore exposed.

ther objects of the invention will be disclosed in the following description and claims.

alls, for producing a self-adjustment aring and having radial ball-spacings In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, an embodirnent of the new ball-bearing combination s represented as example.

In the drawi n 1 Figure 1 is a fiagrammatic illustration'of A the said ball-bearing, showing an axial sectional elevation; I

Figure 2 represents an end elevation showing partly the outer periphery and partly a cross-section of aspacer-ring used in the bearing shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the spacer- I ring;

Figure 4 is .a p Figure 5 is a partial front view of a modification of the spacer-ring. I

Like numerals designate like parts throughout all figures of the drawings.

In the multiplethrust balls-bearing represented in Figure 1, the total load is distributed upon three series of balls 7. capable of receiving end-thrust in the same dlrection.

Therace-disos 11 and 12 of said ball-rows 7 are respectively mounted in a bearin box,

and on the common shaft and fixedt ereto artial cross-section and by suitable known means, to secure them against displacement. The balls in every series are maintained apart by a-spacer rim '5 having radial lugs orvproj ections 6 locate between adjacent balls, a free radial displacement being permitted to the balls be-' tween each pairof lugs (see Fig; 3), and to thatend the radius of curvature of theball race-grooves of the bearing discs, which are shown diagrammatically in Fi 1, is a little larger than the radius of the halls.

- From this arrangement ofthe parts varie ous advantages arise for the exact and smooth operation of the hearing. The balls 7 beilpg radially adjustable, will be pressed on t e coves of the discs 11 and 12, re-.

spective y, under all conditions by centrifugal "force. Thejaction with respectto those rows ofballs which atthat time are; not or are onl J partlymndi: pressure is s'tich,' that the bal s are-forced against the outer shoulders of the racergrooves formed in the discs 11 and 1 2,1and will produce a reactionconj trary to the end-thrust. 'From"thi s'- -self-ad*- justment of the ballsthe "distribution'of the total load to all of the rows of ballsflis' obtained, so that the dan 'er of overloading of single row is removei i. I I The spacer-ring represented in detail by Figures 2 and 3, comprises an annular body '5 and la s 6 projecting from its circumference in the required number to space apart each ball 7 from the 'adjacentones and to ggide them in equidistant places around the dy 5 and in the race-grooves" of the discs 11 and 12. The lugs 6 can be made in any suitable way, for instance, in -forming recesses in a full ring, as wel as the crosssection given to the lugs, which may vary according to the requirements, as illustrated in connection with three rows of balls in Figure 1. ,Theball-receiving depressions of the vspacer-ring may also have different act centering will secure the spacer-ring against eccentric displacement and avoid troubling of the balls, as would be the case, when the spacer-ring bears on same and impedes part of them from radial adjustment.

In order to maintain the precise dimensions ofall elements of the ball-bearing at all temperatures it is necessary to make the spacer-ring of the same material as all other parts; on the other hand the guiding of the balls 1n radial direction will be improved by their contact with antifriction-metal. These different re uirements are complied with, when manufacturing the ring-body 5 from steel, while the lugs 6 are made from a copper alloy, such. as brass, bronze and the like, and fixed to outer projections 10 of the ring-body by rivets 11 or slmilarconnecting means. igures 4 and 5 represent the aforesaid construction of the spacer. Of course any other known connections may be used for the same purpose such as dove-tail, or soldering, bracing and the like. the latter case the spacer rin will resemble, the modifications shown in igures 1 and 3.

The arrangement hereinbefore described in connection with a multiple bearing for end-thrust in one direction is also apphcable with bearings adapted to receive alternating axial pressures.

Several embodiments of the invention have been describedin the foregoing specification and represented in the drawings, but

,evidently the rinciple of the invention'may be performed 111 various ways.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a thrust bearin a spacer-ring provided with ball spacingdugs projecting from its periphery and adapted to permit radial -movement of the balls, said lugs consisting of anti-friction metal secured to the periphery of the ring.

2. In a thrust'bearing, a spacer-rin provided on its periphery with a serieso radially extending spaced projections and radially projecting ball-spacing lugs secured to said projections; sa1d lugs consisting of anti-friction metal and adapted to permitv projections; said lugs ein formed of antifriction metal and adapted to permit radial movement of the balls therebetween, Y and means for supporting the spacer-rings concentric with said bearing discs.

' 4. A thrust bearing comprising a plurality of series of .balls, concentrically en 7 ported spacer-rings having radial ba 1- spacing project1ons thereon provided with attached terminal portions or lugs and adapted to p'er'mit,a limited radial move-.

ment of the balls confined therebetween, each series of balls being arranged between relatively fixed'plates or disks having ballrace grooves in their confron'tin surfaces constructed to "permit a limited ra 'al movement of the balls, and ball-bearings concentrically supporting. said spacer-rm s, said lugs consisting of anti-friction meta In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification." y

' FRANZ SYMANZIK. 

